Drying-machine.



0. JORDAN.

DRYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN-17. 1908.

928,202 Patented July 1-3, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

CORNELIUS JORDAN, OF COHOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOR- DAN MACHINE GO., OF COHOES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRYING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS JORDAN, residing at Cohoes, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in drying machi11es,'and particularly to machines for drying knit fabric.

The invention comprises the provision of means for automatically drawing over a pipe, fabric to be dried, and means for guiding the cloth in its travel.

The invention further comprises the provision of a pipe for accommodating cloth that is designed to be drawn thereover, a plurality of rolls to force the cloth over the pipe, and means for revolving and continuously holding in contact the rolls with said ipe.

p The object in view is the provision of a clothes drying apparatus in which the clothes, as knit fabric, are drawn over a heated tube by means of yielding rolls, which are automatically kept in contact with the cloth and continuously rotate for feeding the same forward over the tube.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary view of a pipe and cap over which the cloth to be dried is designed to be drawn. Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the rolls forming part of the present invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a weight, chain and pulley for pulling the feeding rolls toward each other.

In the manufacture of cloth which has been knit on a cylinder it has been customary heretofore to unroll the same and stretch the same over a long iron pipe by hand and then force hot air through pipe for drying the cloth.

In order to expedite the drying and feed- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 17, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Serial No. 411,36e.

ing of the cloth over thehot air pipe is among the objects of the invention.

In the construction of a device according to the present invention a framework as l is used that may be of any desired structure which is provided with suitable uprights 2 and cross braces 3 together with other bracing means as may be necessary for rigidly holding the frame in position and supporting pulleys, shafting and the like as may be desired. Passing through the flooring or support 4: is a tube 5 preferably of iron, which is of suitable length and designed to receive heated air from any source for heating the same and for projecting air upward into the fabric 6 that is designed to be dried. The tube 5 passes through the flooring or support 4: and extends down to any desired support for rigidly holding the same in position. The upper end of the pipe 5 is designed to extend a short distance beyond or above rolls 7 and 8 and to receive a guiding cap and de fiector 9 which is constructed with an upper solid or imperforated cover and a plurality of yielding fingers 11 that are spaced apart and designed to be slightly depressed for insertion into pipe 5. The fingers 11 are designed to be made from metal having a spring tendency so that when the same are forced into pipe 5 the cap 9 will be held properly in position. The imperforated cover or part of cap 9 is intended to direct heated air from pipe 5 against the fabric as the same is passed over the pipe. It will be observed in Fig. 3 that the upper part 10 of cap 9 is formed conical in shape and the fingers 11 are bulged or bent outward and form a larger circumference than pipe 5 so that when the fabric 6 is forced over cap 9 and onto pipe 5 the same will be properly spread for correctly encircling pipe 5. The fabric 6 is forced over cap 9 by hand and down over pipe 5 until the rolls 7 have engaged the fabric. The rolls 7 are designed to be continuously rotated so that when the same engage fabric 6 the fabric will be drawn over the pipe 5 at any desired speed and forced downward to the opposite end of the pipe. As the fabric is forced downward heated air is forced through the pipe and out between fingers 11 into the fabric above the pipe so that the fabric receives a drying blast before it touches the hot pipe 5. By this means the fabric is quickly and evenly dried and the drying operation is continuous and uninterrupted until the particular piece of fabric being dried has entirely passed over pipe 5. After it has passed over pipe 5 it may be removed in any desired or usual manner.

Rolls 7 and 8 are rigidly secured to shafts 12 and 13 respectively which are mounted in sliding supports 14, 15, 16 and 17. The supports 14 and 16 are slidably mounted in slide Ways 18 and 19 of base plate 20 and sliding supports 15 and 17 are slidably mounted in ways 21 and 22 in base plate 23. Rigidly secured to shafts l2 and 13 are pulleys 24 and 25 respectively which are designed to receive power from any desired source through belts 26 and 27. Pulleys 24 and 25 are preferably of a groove type so that there will be positively no danger of the belts slipping oif and stopping the oper ation of the rolls 7.

In order to give the rolls 7 a tendency at all times to engage the fabric 6 or pipe 5 a pair of pulleys 28 and 29 are provided in base plate 21 midway between shafts 12 and 13. A chain 30 having its ends secured to sliding supports 14 and 15 respectively, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, is passed over pulleys 28 and 29 down through the floor 4 and has a weight 31 secured to the loop formed by the same. The weight 31 will exert a continuous strain or pulling action upon the chain and give a continuous tendency to the same to pull slides 14 and 16 toward each other, and consequently cause rolls 7 and 8 to have a tendency at all times to engage pipe 5, If desired a pair of pulleys 28 and 29 together with a chain similar to 30 and weight similar to 31 may be provided in base plate 23, but usually only one weight is necessary. I11 order to move rolls 7 and 8 from engagement with pipe 5 for permitting the forcing over the pipe fabric 6, or for any other purpose, a pair of levers 32 and 33 are provided for moving manually shafts 12 and 13 and the respective mechanism connected thereto. The levers 32 and 33 are pivotally mounted upon any desirable support as 34 that is secured to support 35 which holds or supports base plate 23. A link 35 is pivotally mounted to shaft 12 and a link 36 is pivotally mounted to shaft 13 and the respec tive links are pivotally mounted at their opposite ends to levers 33 and 32 respectively. By this means the levers 33 and 32 may be grasped by the operator and forced apart which will force apart rolls 7 and 8.

Rolls 7 and 8 are preferably constructed with a body portion 37 of metal which has secured to the periphery thereof a yielding cover or band 38 preferably of leather. The cover or band 38 is made with a plurality of apertures or holes 39 and ridges 40. The ridges 40 are designed to give a yielding gripping action to the rollers for forcing the fabric along pipe 5. In order to soften or make more yielding the cover 38 apertures 39 are provided which give a springing or resilient effect to the cover, but as the cover is made from leather it will wear a comparatively long time.

In operation after the cloth or fabric has been knit on a cylinder or made otherwise and placed in a receptacle as 41 preparatory to drying the same the receptacle 41 is brought into proximity to frame 1 and near sleeve 42 mounted therein. The sleeve 42 may be of any desired material that will not wear or tear or damage the fabric in any way. One of the pieces of fabric has then one end passed through sleeve 42 and down to and over cap 9. The-end of the fabric 6 is forced over cap 9 and a short distance over pipe 5 until the same has reached a position opposite rolls 7 and 8. The rolls 7 and 8 are then set into operation by turning the power on from any desirable source, and as the rolls 7 and 8 revolve toward each other or in opposite directions, the cloth or fabric 6 is gradually forced over pipe 5 and drawn through eyelet or sleeve 42. Heated air is at the same time forced through pipe 5 and permitted to discharge through cap 9 into the fabric, just previous to the forcing of the same over the pipe. The rolls 7 and 8 may be revolved at any speed for feeding the fabric at any speed. It will be evident that the speed of the fabric 6 will be regulated so that the fabric will be dried by the time it reaches the bottom of tube 5 and that if the tube is comparatively hot the fabric may be forced at a comparatively high speed thereover, while if the tube 5 is comparatively cool the fabric must be forced thereover at a comparatively slow rate of speed. After the first piece of fabric from boX 41 has been forced over pipe 5 another piece may be forced over and so on until the box is empty, and then another supply may be brought to the drier and the operation continued, the dry fabric being removed after each operation in any convenient manner.

That I claim is:

1. In a drying machine, a frame, drying means, rolls for forcing fabric over said drying means, means for slidably mounting said rolls in position, a chain connecting said last mentioned means, a plurality of pulleys for supporting said chain, and a weight secured to said chain intermediate its ends, said weight acting through said chain and said pulleys giving a rectilinear movement, and a continuous tendency to said rolls to remain in engagement with said fabric, the tension of said tendency remaining constant.

2. A drying machine comprising, a frame, drying means, means for forcing fabric in proximity to said drying means, and a cap for said drying means for guiding said fabric, said cap comprising a deflecting portion and a plurality of spreading fingers In testimony whereof I affix my signature said fingers and said deflecting portion being in presence of two Witnesses. united for forming a braced structure said cap being designed to spread said fabrii: and CORNELIUS JORDAN 5 to direct heated air against said fabric pre- Witnesses:

vious t0 the fabric coming in contact with WALTER H. WESTMIRE,

said drying means. ALFRED BELANG. 

